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Walking to school up hill (both ways) in snow. Then having to do the chores around the house like clean the cloths by hand or get the wood ready so the house will be warm at night and of course the once a week bath in the tub was sure a treat since it was hard to boil all the hot water.

Joss can be a smarty, but I actually did walk about a mile to class and back every day in brutal subzero (often -30° F.) winter weather during my years in Gunnison. Back in my younger years, among all the other hard outside work I did, I also unloaded umpteen railroad cars of grain in subzero weather or 100° F.+ weather. Real fun when you're down in the hopper in all the dust under those conditions. Real easy for people who have never done anything more difficult than to sit at a computer to joke about, but I have done REAL work out in the REAL elements.

By the way, Ed Quillen would have understood. He cut his teeth as a young man working in his father's industrial laundry. Not exactly a "country club" job.

Real easy for people who have never done anything more difficult than to sit at a computer to joke about, but I have done REAL work out in the REAL elements.

Like you, I've done both...I've sweated my butt off and froze my butt off working mostly outdoor construction during my high school / college years, and for the past 15 years, I've sat in front of a computer. I'm not sure which is worse! Most grueling job of all.....by a wide margin....was tree planting in British Columbia. Joking about the hard work makes it all a bit more tolerable, for me anyway. Life is serious enough without taking it too seriously.

I could have taken the bus to school when there was snow on the ground growing up in PA, but I ALWAYS chose to walk becasue walking thru the drifts was such an adventure, whereas riding the bus was boredomville supreme. Ed would have been proud of me.

Joss can be a smarty, but I actually did walk about a mile to class and back every day in brutal subzero (often -30° F.) winter weather during my years in Gunnison. Back in my younger years, among all the other hard outside work I did, I also unloaded umpteen railroad cars of grain in subzero weather or 100° F.+ weather. Real fun when you're down in the hopper in all the dust under those conditions. Real easy for people who have never done anything more difficult than to sit at a computer to joke about, but I have done REAL work out in the REAL elements.

Sounds easy. A bit of shielding from the elements, variety of scenery, a chance for exercise... sounds like a good time. The danger of a deep leg thrombosis from sitting at a computer is far worse.

I'm going to miss Ed Quillen's column's as they were already quite entertaining and provided some good like lessons (I enjoyed his pieces on his decision to improve his health by undertaking most of his trips by walking). Another early loss for this world and a loss to the journalism of the Denver Post.

Not to take away from Ed, but I too thought of Gene Amole immediately. I had been gone from Colorado several years when he started his final diary series, but there are bits and pieces of what he wrote that echo in my head when I think about moving back to Denver and I know that is where I belong.

Colorado has been blessed with more than its fair share of superb columnists and potential bad joke aside, they are a dying breed. I have some close ties to journalism and see a lot things that are happening in the background; even if another equally talented columnist comes along it will be almost impossible for them to have their voice heard in the same way the Ed or Gene did and we will be poorer for that.

I liked Gene Amole, as well. He and I did not always see eye-to-eye on politics, but I loved his commentary and writing just the same. My parents knew Mr. Amole personally, and had the utmost respect for him.

I liked Gene Amole, as well. He and I did not always see eye-to-eye on politics, but I loved his commentary and writing just the same.

Same here, and there were a couple other things that I disagreed with him about (Marilyn Van Derbur), but his heart and his writing skills were in the right place.

I don't know if anyone else remembers this, but there were several years where his article included the poem October's Bright Blue Weather. He always felt (and I agree) that the poem perfectly illustrated Colorado's crisp clear autumn skies during October. I still have a clipping that my mom sent me.

I once emailed him telling him about how back in the 70's, whenever I helped my dad at the office, we would listen to his KVOD radio broadcast (complete with chirping birds) during the drive out to Stapleton. It was such a peaceful beginning for a work day. He replied "Thanks for the memories."

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